Search for Active-Sterile Antineutrino Mixing Using Neutral-Current Interactions with the NOvA Experiment

Acero, M.A. and Adamson, P and Giri, Anjan Kumar and et al, . (2021) Search for Active-Sterile Antineutrino Mixing Using Neutral-Current Interactions with the NOvA Experiment. Physical Review Letters, 127 (20). pp. 1-8. ISSN 0031-9007

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Abstract

This Letter reports results from the first long-baseline search for sterile antineutrinos mixing in an accelerator-based antineutrino-dominated beam. The rate of neutral-current interactions in the two NOvA detectors, at distances of 1 and 810 km from the beam source, is analyzed using an exposure of 12.51×1020 protons-on-target from the NuMI beam at Fermilab running in antineutrino mode. A total of 121 of neutral-current candidates are observed at the far detector, compared to a prediction of 122±11(stat.)±15(syst.) assuming mixing only between three active flavors. No evidence for ν¯μ→ν¯s oscillation is observed. Interpreting this result within a 3+1 model, constraints are placed on the mixing angles θ24<25° and θ34<32° at the 90% C.L. for 0.05 eV2≤Δm412≤0.5 eV2, the range of mass splittings that produces no significant oscillations at the near detector. These are the first 3+1 confidence limits set using long-baseline accelerator antineutrinos. © 2021 authors. Published by the American Physical Society.

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IITH Creators:

IITH Creators	ORCiD
Giri, Anjan Kumar	UNSPECIFIED

Item Type:

Article

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Beam sources; Far detector; Fermilab; Long base line; Mixing angle; Model constraints; Neutral current interactions; Neutral currents; NuMI beam; Running-in

Subjects:

Physics

Divisions:

Department of Physics

Depositing User:

. LibTrainee 2021

Date Deposited:

07 Sep 2022 12:43

Last Modified:

07 Sep 2022 12:43

URI:

http://raiithold.iith.ac.in/id/eprint/10470